Real Estate Career Information

by Tony Guerra

Many people are attracted to real estate careers.

There are a variety of careers within real estate that attract many people each year. The two most common are real estate salesperson and appraiser. Both them require schooling and, in the case of appraisers, some amount of experience. Other real estate careers are found in home inspections, at title companies and in property management. Many real estate professionals eventually end up not only selling real estate but managing it as well.

Real Estate Training

In order to sell real estate it's going to be necessary for you to take formal training. In general, this has little to do with the ins-and-outs of the art of the sale. Rather, it's more about learning the laws and regulations that govern real estate. It also involves using basic real estate math to figure out a home's square footage, for example. Additionally, the legal relationships in buying and selling property are studied.

Real Estate Appraiser Careers

Most states have a separate career track for real estate appraisers. The hours needed in formal training can also be quite a bit more than for real estate salespersons. Also; states generally require that experience under a more-seasoned appraiser be gained. Like real estate salespersons, appraisers depend on developing relationships. These are with banks or other mortgage lenders, for one. In addition, they rely on building a good name in a given real estate market.

Real Esate Careers

Most licensed real estate salespersons, by law, work under the supervision of a broker. In effect, it's the broker who's actually selling the home on behalf of a client. And, as with most sales jobs, real estate professionals get out of it what they put in. All smart salespersons work closely with their brokers to learn the actual art of selling real estate. When they do, the chances they can make a lucrative living increase.

Considerations

Usually, real estate salespeople are required by their brokers to join a local multiple listing service, or MLS. There's a monthly fee involved with it. Almost all salespeople also join their profession's real estate board, which also costs money. However, membership in it and its MLS can greatly improve a salesperson's ability to sell a client's property. Appraisers also usually join a local board and subscribe to its MLS to aid in their work.

Entering the Real Estate Field

Both real estate sales and appraisal training are available through a variety of sources. For one, many community colleges offer career training in both fields. In addition, there are hundreds of state-licensed private schools offering their own training classes. To use California as an example, 135 hours of specific training is required to sell real estate in the Golden State. There's also a licensing examination. No experience is required, though, in order to break into the field.

About the Author

Tony Guerra served more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy. He also spent seven years as an airline operations manager. Guerra is a former realtor, real-estate salesperson, associate broker and real-estate education instructor. He holds a master's degree in management and a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies.

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